A clean supply of water is absolutely essential for the operation of a honeybee colony. Bees use water for cooling the hive by evaporation, and for thinning honey to be fed to larva. Bees collecting water is almost as common a sight as bees on flowers. A strong hive on a hot day can use over a quart of water a day, this occupies 800 workers each making up to 50 trips to the water hole a day.

Bees are experts at locating water. Unfortunately they can quickly become a nuisance to neighbors who may not enjoy the company of bees as much as you do. A colony is more efficient if workers don’t have to travel far for water. The basic requirements for a bee water source is that the bees have a good footing so that they don’t fall in and drown, and that the water stays fresh.

It’s pretty simple to help keep bees hydrated. Make sugar water (1/2 water, 1/2 sugar) and set up a water feeder by filling a pie pan with marbles and then the sugar water. The marbles give the bees a spot to land so that they don’t drown when they come to drink. No more drowned bees or thirsty ones at that!